by WP-Dev | Jun 18, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Podcasts are definitely the marketing tool of the moment as well as the future. Marketing gurus have noted the changing needs of marketing from the written word to audio and because of this are now using podcasting as their main marketing medium in this very competitive market.
Podcasting has grown exponentially over the last few years and is fast becoming the more popular medium for advertising. Because consumers no longer have the time to browse through newspapers, pamphlets, magazines etc. many businesses are using the very powerful marketing tool of podcasts to boost their sales as well as their brand.
The augmented usage of mobile phones is considered to be one of the main factors for the explosive growth of podcasting and podcasts have therefore become the new talk radio of the mobile devices.
The benefits
Eight major promoting benefits to podcasting:
- Drive traffic.
- Better search results
- Allows users to listen and carry on with their life
- Increase followers
- Diversifying your content
- Relationship building
- Increase brand awareness
- Builds trust in your brand
The best way to get your marketing message across to listeners is to use the content of the podcast to relate to the product or brand which you are trying to sell. Using 3rd party ads can annoy listeners and subsequently chase them away.
Audio is a welcoming break from the information overload of written content. Podcasts enable the speaker to get the message across to listeners in an interactive way that the written content might not be able to.
Smart integration
It is predicted that with podcasts becoming more popular that in the future there will be a lot more integration with our devices. An example is that your alarm clock could be set to wake you up with the most recent episode of your morning podcast. Your smart devices would also be able to alert you as to when a new episode of your favorite or most listened to podcasts become available.
A small disadvantage to podcasting is that if you are listening to your podcasts using the same network it is likely that you are hearing the same ads over and over again.
Hopefully future podcasting ads will be able to be targeted to user interests and demographics which will reduce the repetition of ads. Recent research has been shown consumers would be more likely purchase a product from a brand that appeals to their personal experience and needs.
The future
It is predicted that podcast networks of the future will be able to inform you of the podcasts they think you will like, almost the same way Netflix currently does with movies you have watched. For instance, if you generally listen to podcasts at 12:00 during your lunch hour, you could get notifications that there are new episodes ready for download at 11:30 which will help you to avoid searching for new episodes.
So, to answer the question, “Will Podcast Marketing Ever Rule the Web?” My prediction is yes, it is very possible that it will. Watch this space.
by WP-Dev | Jun 16, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
A few years ago, Virtual Assistants were unheard of. Even two years ago when I started as a VA, I was asked “You are a what?”
Fast forward to 2020 and Virtual Assistants are taking on the world. The world is faced with a pandemic and now even companies who would never have considered a VA, are looking at their new world with new eyes and new ways of spending their resources. Time and money being the most prevalent. It has been shown that people can work from home and still get their work done, giving more faith in this system by producing the same results.
Smaller companies who do not have the desire nor the capital to rent office space can hire an Executive VA to assist with numerous tasks. This helps reduce overhead and HR costs as time bundles can be agreed on without having to deal with the stresses of employing permanent employees and adding to their head counts. It will be very interesting to see how many companies evolve into virtual offices in this new world of ours. I for one would also like to know the positive environmental impact this could have.
The list of tasks an Executive VA is able to assist with is tailored specifically to each client. Below we look at 5 of the most common areas of assistance we are asked for.
5 Ways A Virtual Assistant Is Essential To A Virtual Office
Let’s be honest, if you’re running your own business and putting all your time and energy into making it a success, mundane administrative tasks don’t sound very attractive and although time consuming, they are imperative to running a successful business.
Depending on the type of company, these tasks can include:
Diary Management
Managing your diary as well as for other team members. Scheduling, rescheduling or cancelling meetings can at times be challenging. Having an Executive VA do this for you takes the pressure off the organizer and makes meetings take place with no issues.
Meeting Management
Preparing agenda’s, information packs and compiling attractive presentations also requires you to spend a considerable amount of time to do these right! An Executive VA who has these skills can produce high quality work on your behalf. They can also help by taking and distributing minutes allowing you to get back to work.
Travel Management
Shopping around for a good deal on flights and accommodation takes time and patience. There are so many websites available these days and one has to find and compare prices to make sure you are not over paying for something and that you are travelling within your means.
An Executive VA is able to do all the research for you, they can make flight and accommodation bookings on your behalf and arrange any transfers or other travel requirements you may have. They can also ensure that deposits, if required, are paid in time and apply for visas if necessary. An added bonus is that you don’t have to rush or be disrupted in your day to check in online, this can also be done for you.
Company Representation
An Executive VA could be the company’s point of contact and working within the agreed parameters and proxies allows the VA to make executive decisions so that owners and team members can do what they do best, run their business. The VA can focus on building client and stakeholder relationships for the company while always being available to your customers.
Administration
One of the most important fundamentals in any business, however, still one of the most mundane parts of the job for any boss.
Following up on payments, making online payments, logging urgent calls are all small tasks but can take up valuable time. An Executive VA is able to assist with these tasks as well as other perhaps more valuable tasks such as compiling databases and reports, doing market related research, reconciliations and generally be the go-to person to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page and ensuring clear communication between all of them at all times.
The list literally can go on and on… and the benefits to you and your company can too!
by VA Connect | Jun 11, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Customers with a complaint can turn into your most loyal advocates. They will probably become repeat buyers and will generate more sales for you than you can measure. How can I say that?
- People remember a good experience
- Any customer interaction is a chance to upsell
- A customer support issue is an opportunity to stay in touch
- Your marketing can be adjusted to the requirements of your buyers because you know what they want!
But let’s face it – it’s a challenge to turn them around. Nobody enjoys having to deal with a frustrated caller. Let’s be honest, some people are downright rude when they speak to a customer support representative. Possibly callers are even more upset nowadays because they have probably tried all the self-help options available and haven’t received the help they need. Here’s the thing – support bots simply don’t have that human touch or the ability to swing a negative into a positive experience for you clients. I find chatbots and call-centre options highly frustrating….
Don’t overlook the value which problem solving brings to your business. You can turn a frustrated customer into your most loyal supporter by using these simple techniques:
Listen
Listening is probably the most effective way of building a good relationship. It’s getting the know the person you are speaking to and letting them know that you are taking them seriously. People feel valued and respected when they can express themselves.
Acknowledge that there is a problem
Even if the customer has unrealistic expectations, if they are unhappy with your product or service there is a problem! Sometimes by the time they speak to you the problem is simply irritation because they have an enquiry which hasn’t been answered by the FAQs on your website. Or they have tried and tried to troubleshoot, and the support bot has started referring them back to those same FAQs repeatedly. I know this has happened to me, and yes – it is highly irritating.
Stick to the old adage “the customer is always right”.
Empathise
Empathy shows that you really understand. This is how good relationships are built. It’s also the communication technique which is most effective in business communication.
A little humour
If you feel humour is appropriate, you can lighten the situation immediately. But it’s important to assess whether your caller will be receptive to a little joke or shares your sense of humour.
Thank your customer
Your business actually benefits from every issue which is brought to your attention. It gives you the information you need to improve. It identifies where a solution is needed.
You can also learn what messaging to use in outbound communication, such as social media posts and information provided on your website and those dreaded FAQs. Letting your customers know that a problem has been identified and a solution is in progress can ensure that they’re willing to wait instead of looking for a similar product or service.
Follow up
Take the opportunity to strengthen your relationships and remind the customer that you care. This is how you turn a complainer into a supporter and advocate who will give you a good review.
Seize the moment
Your customer may be dissatisfied because the product or service does not offer the functionality they need. There will never be a better time to increase the bottom line than when you have identified a need which you can fulfil.
Of course, this is not always the case, but this is also the time when you can show that your business puts the customer first, values their business and respects their needs.
Customers remember a business that goes the extra mile to solve their problems. Show that you always put the customer first and the rewards will follow.
Photo by Jopwell from Pexels
by WP-Dev | Jun 9, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Globally we are all experiencing lockdown in some way or another due to the pandemic. It’s certainly a weird time for most of us and worrying as well. Anytime we are forced out of our routine and habits, we have opportunities for growth. Resilience is now, more than ever, a critical skill as our lives are affected not just by what happens to us but how we choose to respond to those events.
What is positive thinking?
Positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude of expecting good and favourable results, and not getting discouraged when plans do not proceed as expected. It means trying over again and not accepting defeat. It is an attitude of focusing on the good and positive in a situation, and not on the negative. With this frame of mind, you don’t accept defeat, and do not allow anything negative to affect your mood and state of mind.
A lot of people assume because you have a positive mind, everything in your life is great. I can assure you this is not how it works. Life happens, and we are all going to experience struggles, fears, insecurities and flaws. But being positive isn’t about a life without those things. It’s about learning how to move past them and keep going even when it gets tough.
It feels good to approach life from a positive perspective. If you want to start behaving in a more positive way, then you have to start with your thoughts. Your thoughts affect how you feel and behave in any situation.
Negative Thinking
When you think negatively, your energy is very low. Being sad or upset drains your energy from you and robs you from doing the things you want to do. It becomes very easy to avoid engaging in activities that you make you feel good or benefit your life. If you feel that seeing the bad in everything is your default setting, then experts say you have to think positive thoughts to counteract the negative and do this on repeat until the brain can feel more positive. It’s all about ‘rewiring’ your brain so what you do habitually leans more strongly towards the positive than the negative. Negative thinking can be terribly intrusive on your day. Negative thoughts can set up camp in your brain and crowd out any other positive thoughts, sometimes leaving you feeling low and depleted. Negative self-talk and thinking can be a hard pattern to break but that does not mean that it is impossible.
Positive Thinking
When you think positively, your energy increases. Positive thinking does not mean that you have to completely ignore negative events in your life or the emotions that accompany them. It is normal to experience hardships and have an emotional response. Rather, positive thinking means that you believe that the hard times will not last forever, and trust that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even when going through a challenging period. This keeps the negativity from greatly impacting your life.
Conclusion
Thinking positively can help reduce stress. It helps you to look at a situation with a new perspective. It helps you to see failure as an obstacle, not a dead end. And it helps you to stay calm, even in the midst of an ugly situation.
by WP-Dev | Jun 4, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
COVID-19 one of the biggest things to hit us in 2020, who knows, it may be the only thing because it could mean a domino effect for anything else that may come our way once this is “all over”.
In South Africa, as in much of the world, lockdown is a reality that we are faced with until further notice. Because although there is a date in mind as to when it will end, the likelihood of it being extended is very possible.
Now as a virtual assistant working from home, being confined to my house (for lack of better wording) is not altogether new for me. However for other members of the family it is a tough pill to swallow some days.
So … how have we come this far without totally losing our marbles? I am about to tell you…. IN 5 STEPS!
Choose your battles
Plain and simple – we have NO CHOICE in the matter. We have NO CONTROL over this lockdown and any regulations that are put in place during this time. So, we need to roll with the punches.
I decided quickly that changing routine would be the best strategy for me and my family’s sanity. I had to let my ideal schedule fall by the way side and go with the flow because added stress of trying to keep everything “normal” would not be beneficial to anyone.
My house would not suddenly explode because we were no longer following a schedule to the T, so I gave it up. GOODBYE!
Find what works
I found that what worked for us was to try and be as understanding, as supportive and as crazy as possible. I let the kids do weird and wonderful things the first two weeks of lockdown. They got to go to bed a little later, they ate what they wanted and played till they could not play anymore.
For me, I almost feel the little ones are the biggest heroes here because they actually have no idea of the gravity of the situation. They cannot fully understand or grasp the concept of not being able to go outside to play at the park or be with their friends at school.
Yet everyday they try and just be their best selves, playing, having fun, laughing and sometimes pushing us to the brink of Bonkersville, but all the while they live for the moments, every moment, that they get to be with US as a family.
Hubby became one with his chair, desk and PC – and that is OKAY!
I of course carried on – BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL! Because as I said, for me, working odd hours and getting the job done through the day is fairly normal for me. The main goal being – GETTING THE JOB DONE AND KEEPING THE CLIENTS HAPPY!
Because just as it is difficult for us, it is difficult for many of them too.
This too shall pass
Even though my initial reaction to everything was to keep things more relaxed and less structured, eventually everyone seemed to just migrate back to the normal routine – and rightfully so because homeschooling has now become a new reality for us since a couple weeks back.
Besides that, I believe it is important that we realise that this won’t be life forever – well not fully any way. I am certain that life will never be the same, however we will integrate back into the world, slowly but surely, and we will carry on with our lives (hopefully with a new set of eyes and views).
Nothing is forever. Things change. And life goes on.
Give yourself a break
Let’s face it, times are tough, tough to the max and if you can get through these days without too many scratches, you are good to go and deserve a pat on the back.
So if it takes baking a banana bread every day, staying in your PJs for a week, drinking a raw egg OR binge watching Tiger King – then so be it! Just let yourself be.
For me, it has been sleeping more, reflecting more and just enjoying having my whole family all in one place for more than just a couple consecutive days. Safe, healthy and with me. All while still being able to work and earn money and put food on the table, (oh man for that I am eternally grateful).
So, what is the conclusion?
The conclusion is that we are only human and when faced with adversity or things we do not understand we can become defensive and lose the plot a little. But once we stop and realise that we actually have no control over the greater situation at hand, but that we can control how we react to it, and how we get through the tough times, everything starts to fall into place.
We start to adapt. We start to live our new reality and we get on with it.
Take this time to be more, do more and live more (even if you cannot leave your house), it is possible.
Onward and upward!
by VA Connect | Jun 3, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
I have stopped listening to the news and reading stories on the spread of the virus, infected numbers, businesses closing, staff being retrenched, and what is allowed at each level. Some would say this is naïve, but to be honest my heart just cannot take it. As humans we are built to want to help those that we can. We tip the car guards and petrol attendants, we give the waiters/waitress 15-20% and not only 10%. We buy extra food for the security guards of complexes and will always try and give what we can to the less fortunate, but during these times it is difficult to give when you do not have much yourself.
So, I have decided to rather focus on the opportunities during this time. Spending time we wouldn’t normally get with our children and partners. Getting to things around the house you have said you will do for years. Sitting down to finish that baby book. Finally organizing your workday, schedule and tasks. Finishing tasks you have not found the time for. And most importantly being able to switch off.
Enjoy your home
Just as we are built to want to help others, we as South Africans are built to work. It is inbred in us, every day revolves around what time to wake up to miss the traffic, how much can we get done in the prescribed office hours, what dinner will take the quickest to cook, then it is cleaning, laundry and prep for the next day to start it all over again, never mind the additional hours put in, in the evenings on emails and tasks that you just never got to during the day.
This driving work force, it still lives on, but within the four walls of every home, it looks a little different. There is the extra hour or two of sleep as traffic is no longer a problem-child, there is no hours lost sitting in traffic, struggling to get to the office to attend to emails and meetings. This time is spent cooking breakfast and enjoying one extra meal a day together as a family, some days it is attending to emails in your pajamas, exercising at lunch time and vacuuming at 16:00 before cooking dinner. The weight on my shoulders seems a little lighter.
Smell the roses
Not everyone has little people running around ruling their homes but, in our house, this is exactly what we have. Our little one is an early-riser, so our mornings start before the sun has risen and is fast-paced. Running and jumping and swimming and reading and snacking and eating and falling and climbing. I get tired just writing this, but these are moments that we normally miss, that we are not around to enjoy. Although it is crazy and some days, I feel the years I am losing off my life span, I wouldn’t trade it for getting back to the real world. I am starting to worry about how I am going to go back to the normal.
Do it now!
Before isolation it was a case of ‘why do today what can be done tomorrow’ so in essence it was never gotten to. The glass cabinet I’ve been meaning to reorganize has been done, the baby book I never got around to finishing, is almost complete, the meals I always wanted to cook – are finally being cooked, the painting project I wanted to start has started, and the book I wanted to read, has been read. The tables have all turned. The emails I can do tomorrow, the document can be reviewed tomorrow, the project can start tomorrow. And off course none of these missing a deadline but rather being done when you can within the required timeframe. The chicken seems to be running around with all its body parts for a change.
Everyone is worried and scared, industries are facing turmoil, turnover is at an all-time low, and every single person is doing what they can to not only survive but keep sane. During the time it is difficult to stay positive and to looks for the good in each day but all it takes is one thing a day. One task that makes you happy, makes you feel lighter. One extra hour spent with your little people doing something that makes them smile and laugh. Take 20min to have that cup of coffee outside with no cellphone or laptop. Finally finish the sorting of all your emails or finishing that one task that has been lagging at your side.
Everyday do something for you, something that makes you smile, makes you feel lighter.
